Tips, tools, techniques and advice on how to succeed in business, careers, relationships and life by Niquenya D. Fulbright, Christian Executive Life Coach, Management Consultant, Mediator, Professional Speaker & Corporate Trainer in Chicago.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

As some of you very well may know, I had just gotten my action plan together to monetize my writing when I got blindsided. eHow seemed like it was going to be my bread and butter, my meat and potatoes, my foie gras. I was really starting to earn a nice passive residual income from my articles and had high hopes of writing many more. Unfortunately, suddenly the eHow site started having all of these major glitches and issues that prevented publishing and then some genius over at the parent company decided to stop accepting articles direct from eHow and to move everyone over to the Demand Studios site. What a load of bologna!

First off, any old average Joe was able to write for eHow. Although there were a few crappy articles, for the most part eager writers offered some really helpful how-to information and advice on how to do just about anything. I didn't mind the typos or grammatical errors if the information was useful. On top of that, the articles were literally SEO keyword goldmines which made the whole site a Google favorite.

Writing for Demand Studios is a much different animal in that they have a lengthy approval process and want you to be a serious, professional writer. The earnings are also kind of sucky. I have yet to complete my first article because I'm in limbo with getting my author's bio to the proper format according to their stupid, strenuous guidelines. I don't even think I have a live link to my profile page yet. Seriously? I didn't sign up for this.

My suggestions: HubPages and Associated Content are the way to go. Both still have their guidelines but you still have a good chance to earn something nice for quality, well-written articles. If you find out about any other great article-submission sites (I know about Squidoo and Bukisa - still testing those out), please let me know.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Lately I've been talking to friends who have came right out and told me that they are jealous of my current relationship which is going so fantastic. They are ranting and raving about how their relationships are so bad and they are just generally unhappy with the situation. One woman is dating a married man and the other is involved with an unmotivated, jobless, perpetual cheater. Now I know it seems like we all know what's wrong with these pictures without needing to know the whole story, but I implore you to look deeper into why these women stay in such obviously unhealthy relationships. Furthermore, I want you to look at your own relationships and decide why it is that you stay in those as well.

It has taken me a long time to find happiness in a relationship and I have realized it is because I needed that time to first find happiness within myself, by myself. You can not fully commit to a relationship if you haven't first fully committed to yourself. When you enter a relationship broken, you do so with baggage and expectations of the other person making you whole. It is unfair to place sole responsibility for your happiness on another person's shoulders. What you are essentially doing is draining the life and energy from your partner rather than inputting your positivity along with theirs to build you both up. Now just imagine the chaos that ensues when both people come to the table broken. You both become codependent parasites leaching off each other's happiness until there is nothing left and you fall into the cesspool of negativity and loneliness you have buth dug for yourselves.

Relationships are merely reflections of our own self-image. If you think your partner isn't good enough, then you probably don't think that you're good enough either. If you believe that your deserve better then you will demand better. It is as simple as that. So if you find yourself in an unhappy, dead-end and/or abusive relationship, it is up to you to examine why you are really there. End it and let it die. Go ahead and grieve for it but in your grieving, learn from it and grow. Remember, opposites do not attract, only complements do so if you find yourself repeating a pattern of bad relationships, it is time for some thorough self-exploration. Your happiness is really in your hands.

Friday, April 16, 2010

With vision comes direction. Open your eyes to see whose path you're really on. Today is the perfect day to take the wheel and steer right.

Too often we spend our days living in "supposed to do" and "need to do". What do you "want to do"? Maybe it's due time to take the bull by the horns and get started on your own hopes and dreams. Too much time living by the expectations of others can leave much desired. The key to finding happiness is to follow your heart and desires. Get in tune with you.

The funny thing about getting in touch with your own wants and desires is that many of us have gone so long without putting ourselves first that we often don't know where to begin. How do we do it? How do we give ourselves permission to step away from the many directions friends, family, careers, roles, etc.; are pulling us in order to focus on the central element in the equation...me?

Time to get quiet and listen to your soul. Sounds silly but you might be surprised by the complete clarity of thought one can achieve just by getting quiet. So find some quiet, "me" time today. It doesn't have to be too long. Just a few minutes is more than enough for a purposeful pause.

Let all the stress and burdens slip away while you let your mind and body ease into relaxation. A clear and calm mind is the best platform for problem-solving and decision-making. It may take a few attempts before you can fully take advantage of your purposeful pauses but keep at it. You will eventually develop a clear vision and the perfect peace you need to follow it into fruition.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Well I totally thought I had finally gotten on the ball with my writing over at eHow. I mean, afterall, I was definitely seeing a return on my few minutes of investment per article. I figured if I started writing one article per day at the very least then it wouldn't be long before I had a nice residual income from the site but wouldn't you know it! That darned eHow has some sort of site glitch (they're calling it a bug) that is preventing articles from being published correctly. This means my last few articles are just sitting in some strange article limbo hidden away from the eager eyes of my readers. UGH!!!

That leads me to Bukisa. Now this is another article site that pays out a revenue share from advertising to its member writers. I joined Bukisa almost a year ago but hadn't revisited the site until today. I decided to publish the papers I had written for my Graduate courses as articles. So this blog post is dedicated to my new relationship with Bukisa. I will let you know if I start seeing the revenue that was being generated over at eHow but I do so hope that eHow gets their act together. I like receiving a passive income.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I'm hosting a free online resume workshop for career changers. I delivered a live customized version of this course at a local school with great results. See the positive feedback from the students on Yelp.

About the e-course:

This 90-minute workshop targets jobseekers who are in a career transition and/or have little or no work experience within their chosen industry. The course highlights key transferable skills and assists with the development of a functional resume. Cover letters and interview techniques are also briefly discussed. Attendees will walk away knowing that they possess the tools needed to land a dream job within their new targeted career fields.

Monday, March 1, 2010

This eHow thing is great and I am still just trudging away with publishing a little article here and a little article there. This is most ridiculous of me to say the least. I sincerely could knock out two articles a day if not more but yet again procrastination and distractions are rearing their ugly heads. I'm not giving up though and have been diligently working to get my home office in order so that I can have the space to breathe easy and write more frequently. Afterall, eHow is making me some serious cash and is an excellent vehicle to generate additional passive income online.

In any case, here are the latest articles that are already generating a little bit of buzz on the net. Please visit the articles and leave a rating and comment on them. I love constructive feedback. You can also share the articles to your own social networks as you see fit.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Fulfilling your dreams often takes inner work. It is impossible for you to be the same person broke as you would be financially stable. Think about it. Look at where you are now and where you would like to be. Will you reach your goals if you continue to practice the same bad habits and negative behaviors that have landed you in your current situation? Probably not. Examine your dreams and decide what needs to be changed, improved and/or stopped completely. Change your mind, change your heart, change your path. Growth is a process. Are you willing to commit?

"The greatest reward in becoming a millionaire is not the amount of money that you earn. It is the kind of person that you have to become to become a millionaire in the first place." - Jim Rohn

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Commit yourself to being a lifelong learner. Knowledge is power. Make an effort to learn something new today. Sharpen your skills and hone your talents. Don't forget to share!

If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old.

-Lord Chesterfield

Things you can do to enhance your personal development:*read a book*attend a seminar*join in on a teleclass*visit a museum exhibit*pick up a newspaper*talk with your kids (you'd be surprised at what you could learn)*chat with a senior citizen*go back to school*join a Toastmasters club

The list is endless. Be creative and have fun. Learning can be enjoyable and goes a long way in extending your productivity. There are health benefits to learning too! Studies have shown that those people who actively feed their minds are less likely to develop Alzheimer's and other cognitive impairments as they age.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Good morning and happy MLK day. Regardless of your race, color, sex, national origin, creed, sexual orientation or disability, take a moment to reflect upon your own "learned" prejudices and decide how you can not only be more tolerant of those who may be different from you but also more accepting. What would Jesus do?

How do you plan to spend the extra cash? Do you have an emergency fund or a savings account? Are there bills or other debts you need to catch up on?

Create a plan to budget your refund now so that it doesn't slip through your fingers when it arrives. One thing I have found to work well is to pretend the refund doesn't exist. After all, you have been without this cash for a year already. Why not save or invest the whole amount? Think about it.

Friday, January 1, 2010

So I started to move over to WordPress but it didn't happen. In fact, I am spent much of my time these last few months, attempting to get my personal life in order so my business has suffered. Dealing with children with disabilities (be they mental or physical) is NO JOKE. Things are going better now so I'm hoping to get back on track with this blog by offering my readers more of the great tips, tools, techniques and advice that they so deserve. Looking forward to reconnecting with the blogosphere. :)

About Me

Niquenya D. Collins is an executive life coach, management consultant, mediator, author, corporate trainer and motivational speaker in the Chicagoland area. She has over 20 years experience motivating small business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, nonprofit leadership, groups and individuals in a career or life transition to use their innate abilities to master their goals and achieve successes beyond their wildest dreams.

Her certifications in Christian life coaching and mediation have increased her ability to develop managers at all levels into powerful leaders and innovative thinkers. Niquenya believes strongly in applying a holistic approach to success and works hard to promote balance in all areas of her clients’ lives. Whether it is business, career, family, intimate relationships, finances, personal satisfaction or otherwise; Niquenya is an expert at motivating clients to see the big picture, create a vision, overcome obstacles and define a realistic plan to begin living a life they love.